The Brutal Story Of Arn Anderson's Backstage Fight With Sid Vicious (original) (raw)

Professional wrestling is a brutal and unforgiving business, in terms of physical health, as well as mental stability. There is no doubt that many professional wrestlers truly enjoy putting on a show, but at the same time, wrestling is more than just putting on a show through athletic spectacle and technical mat work. The very top of the industry is extremely competitive as out of the hundreds and thousands of wrestlers over the decades, only a handful have been megastars to the degree of The Rock or Steve Austin.

Aside from the physical pain of working grueling matches, backstage politics and competitive spirit can and does lead to conflicts that are not intended for the entertainment of the masses. Indeed, wrestlers have slugged it out backstage over personal and professional issues, as confirmed by testimonies or the wrestlers themselves coming out and admitting it.

Oftentimes, wrestlers punch each other in the face and the situation is stopped from escalating further by the co-workers or management barging in and separating the wrestlers involved in the melee. However, there has been one case where two wrestlers brawled in a hotel hallway, and the fight ended with both athletes being sent to the hospital as they had bled buckets. This is what happened in WCW between Sid Vicious and Arn Anderson.

UPDATE: 2024/10/14 17:00 EST BY BENJAMIN VIEIRA

Over the course of its long history, professional wrestling has seen various backstage fights that are deeply ingrained into the lore of the business. In 1993, one of the most infamous of these fights took place. It was between Arn Anderson and Sid Vicious, two of WCW's most notable names and both who were members of the Four Horsemen. It was bloody and violent affair that nobody wanted to see happen. It also had major consequences for Vicious, who was released due to the fight. And while it was a big fight, Anderson and Vicious managed to reconcile and had no issues.

The Fight Began Over Sid's Resentment Towards Ric Flair

Sid Vicious And Arn Anderson Argued In England

• WCW wrestlers were talking about how they were not making much money.
• Sid Vicious took issue with the money Ric Flair was making.
• Arn Anderson defended Ric Flair at the bar.

Related

20 Best WCW Wrestlers Of All Time, Ranked

From Icons to Genetic Freaks, WCW featured some of the best wrestlers in the history of the business.

The year was 1993, and the two men involved in the bloody melee were Sid Vicious and Arn Anderson. After wrestling a show in Blackburn, England, Anderson and Sid, along with a couple of other wrestlers, went to a bar. At that time, WCW was not doing particularly well in terms of finances and the wrestlers themselves were not making decent figures and so the conversation between the group, which also included Steve Austin, shifted to money woes and the company not drawing good numbers.

Ric Flair was brought up as the guy who was making good money in the business and then tempers started to flare. Sid lashed out at Flair and basically singled him out as the problem in the company. Anderson, who was close friends with Flair, took offense and the two got into an argument. Eventually, Sid threw a beer bottle and that was the cue for everyone to disperse, as the situation was bound to escalate into something worse had they not left the bar.

From here, accounts begin to differ. The wrestlers went back to the hotel, but according to Sid’s manager, Col. Robert Parker, Sid dismantled a chair, grabbed the leg of it and then went to visit Arn Anderson. After feigning a handshake, Sid smashed the leg of the chair over Anderson’s head, leading to a brawl that spilled outside the room.

Arn Anderson And Sid Vicious Got Into A Big Fight

Arn Anderson Was Stabbed Numerous Times

• Arn Anderson tried to stab Vicious, but the scissors were taken away from him.
• A lot of blood was spilled between Arn Anderson and Sid Vicious.
• Arn Anderson and Sid Vicious were kept separate during the rest of the tour.

Anderson attempted to stab Sid with a pair of scissors. The two wrestlers tussled for them, with Sid eventually snatching the instruments and stabbing Anderson twenty to thirty times, spilling an obscene amount of blood.

Parker also insinuated that Sid was wrestling without steroids, and he was bound to explode due to the withdrawal effects. On the other hand, Sid has given a different retelling of these depressing events. According to him, Anderson was threatening to stab him with a broken beer bottle during the argument in the bar. Later on, Sid visited Anderson’s room with the intention of nailing him on the head with the limb of the chair he had dismantled, but decided against it.

However, when Anderson opened the door to his room, with scissors in his hand, Sid thought he was “coming after him” and knocked him down with one shot. He then noticed that Anderson had stabbed him during the scuffle and then grabbed the scissors next to his feet and then stabbed Anderson repeatedly.

According to 2 Cold Scorpio, an eyewitness in the hallway, the entire place was stained with blood and Sid was kicking Anderson in the face and stabbing him over and over again. Scorpio immediately rushed in and broke up the fight, noting that Anderson was in a much worse condition than his foe. Sid walked off in a daze while Anderson collapsed due to the loss of blood. The two were sent to the hospital, with Sid having four stab marks and Anderson suffering over twenty. Sid and Arn both spent the night in the hospital and had to be kept separated during the remainder of the tour. Moreover, they went back to the United States on different flights.

Eric Bischoff Brought Up The Fight On Nitro

Eric Bischoff Had A Confrontation With Sid Vicious

• WCW vacated all their titles in 2000.
• Sid Vicious was the reigning WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
• Few fans reacted to Eric Bischoff's reference about scissors.

Related

10 Botches From WCW History That Made Us Shake Our Heads

WCW wasn't always bad, but when it was, the botches were downright embarrassing.

Sometimes, backstage incidents find their way into making it onto television. While the majority of casual fans might not get them, the hardcore fans are aware of what happens. On an episode of WCW Nitro, Eric Bischoff confronted Vicious, who was the reigning WCW World Heavyweight Champion. All titles in WCW were being vacated and Vicious had to give up his title, but was hesitant.

Bischoff made a remark by asking Vicious where his scissors were. Commentary was shocked that it was being brought up. However, it was also a very awkward reference, considering that there were probably many who were not aware of the situation.

Arn Anderson And Sid Vicious Reconciled

Arn Anderson Spoke Highly Of Sid Vicious

• Sid Vicious apologized after the incident.
• Arn Anderson and Sid Vicious never had any issues afterward.
• It is one of the most infamous backstage fights in pro wrestling.

Related

4 Things To Know About The Death & Legacy Of WWE Legend Sid Vicious

Sid Vicious tragically passed away on August 26th, 2024. Here's a look back at the career of The Master & Ruler Of The World

Sid was fired by WCW for this incident and Anderson received a suspension. Afterward, Sid admitted that he had apologized to Arn Anderson. The two remained on good terms until Vicious' tragic passing in 2024. Anderson said of Vicious on his podcast:

"Obviously, the wrestling world lost a giant. He was definitely a monster. He left a mark on this business that people will remember for decades to come. He had the best look. I would go this far as to say that he probably had the best look of anybody in the history of the business. Just seeing him walking in the room, he’s just a monster." (h/t TJRWrestling)

However, this backstage fight still stands out for all the wrong reasons. The little argument over Ric Flair spiraled out of control and led to one of the most bloody and vicious real-life fight in the history of pro wrestling.